Winter Olympics inspires young Canberrans to ice sports excellence

February 20, 2018

CANBERRA.—Daily coverage of Australian Winter Olympics heroics in PyeongChang is inspiring the next generation of new winter sports enthusiasts and inundating the national capital’s ice sports associations with eager new participants.

ACT Ice Sports Federation president Tony Prescott said today the three medals Australian athletes had already won, as well as the wide cross section of winter sports in which the 51 competitors are participating, is resulting in increased interest in ice hockey, figure skating and other ice sports.

“We’re very excited by the Winter Olympics, and naturally keen that the options paper, funded by the ACT Government, is now drawing to a conclusion – the timing couldn’t be better,” Prescott said. “It’s the local community, the boys and girls, and the mums and dads who will feed into the next generation of ice sports participants and supporters, enthused by what they’re seeing on their TV screens, mobile devices and in the media.

“A new national ice sports centre, which consolidates the national capital’s leadership in Australia’s sport and physical recreation participation statistics and caters for all abilities, is a priority.

“When Chief Minister Andrew Barr committed funds in the 2016 election campaign for the planning of a new ice sports facility, all of the ACT’s ice sports organisations in Canberra – which have a proud history of achievement at national and international level – committed to work together to establish a centre that our talented ice sports athletes can call home and be a place of which the ice sports community and all Canberrans can be proud,” Prescott said.

He said his multi-disciplinary team was committing every ounce of energy into trying to bring to fruition plans for a new national ice sports centre.

The federation represents the interests of Ice Hockey ACT, the ACT Ice Skating Association, ACT Broomball and the CBR Brave (Australian Ice Hockey League franchise).  The federation is also in talks with ice sports organisations in Australia and overseas, including those which represent ice speed skating, sled hockey, curling, and even blind hockey.

“Optimistically, we think a timetable of consultation, planning and design in 2017-18, with construction in 2018-19, enabling an operational facility sometime in 2019, is achievable, and with the government’s support in progressing the options paper, we remain on track,” Prescott added.

To listen to Tony Prescott's interview on Radio 2CC, click: https://soundcloud.com/user-366030151-186415521/2cc-radio-interview-tony-prescott